UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH OF THE USACONSISTORY OFFICE OF PUBLIC RELATIONSPRESS RELEASE

The Orthodox Community in Chicagoland Joined the Serbian-Americans to Mourn Passing of Patriarch Pavle!Protopriest Taras Naumenko

Chicago, IL – The Orthodox Community joined Serbian-Americans from throughout the greater Chicago metropolitan area at Holy Resurrection Serbian Orthodox Cathedral on Tuesday, November 17, in prayerful remembrance of the spiritual leader and head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, who passed away on Sunday in Belgrade, Serbia, at the age of 95 following a prolonged illness.

With the blessing of Metropolitan Christopher of the Serbian Orthodox Church who already departed for Belgrade for the funeral, a memorial service was held by His Eminence Archbishop Job of Chicago and the Midwest, OCA; His Eminence Archbishop Nicolae of Chicago - Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America and Canada; His Grace Bishop Demetrios of Mokissos, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - Metropolis of Chicago and His Grace Bishop Daniel - Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA (Western Eparchy) for Patriarch Pavle of Blessed Memory.

Following the memorial service His Grace Bishop Demetrios, spoke on behalf of the Hierarchs present quoting from St Paul’s letter to the Corinthians 12:25-27: that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. The Orthodox Community in Chicagoland has great love and support of one another; it was expressed by the presence of the Hierarchs gathered from the various jurisdictions.

The Pan-Orthodox nature of the prayerful gathering was a testimony to the profound respect and admiration in which the wider Orthodox community held His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, as well as an expression of spiritual unity and consolation to the Serbian Orthodox Church by the sister Orthodox Churches in this time of grief.

On behalf of His Eminence Metropolitan Christopher, Father Darko Spasojevic, Cathedral Dean, greeted and thanked the visiting hierarchs and clergy for their prayerful support and encouragement.

Later that evening, His Grace Bishop Daniel, on behalf of the Council of Bishops and the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA expressed his condolences to the Serbian community for the local Serbian television channel. Accompanying Bishop Daniel, were Archimandrite Pankaratij, Protopriest Taras Naumenko and Deacon Andrij Fronchak.